The 17 000-strong East African Law Society has this week thrown its weight behind efforts to reduce growing antagonism between Rwanda and Uganda. Under its new president, Willy Rubeya, the society has offered to help with mediation, so that the border between the neighbours may be fully opened again and tensions eased.

As tensions between Rwanda and Uganda heighten, a major lawyers’ organization in the region has stepped forward to offer its help in defusing the situation. This week saw tension escalating further, with several border points between the two countries closed by Rwanda. Kigali has warned its citizens not to travel to Uganda on the grounds that Uganda has detained and deported people from Rwanda. All these allegations have however been denied by Uganda, though officials said that those Rwandans who were deported were involved in crimes that undermined national security.

When Victoire Ingabire was released from jail during September 2018, some of her many followers described her as the “Nelson Mandela” of Rwanda. She immediately called for other political prisoners to be freed in addition to those released with her. She said she was prepared to return to prison if that was the price to be paid to win freedom of speech and human rights in Rwanda. This week the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights awarded Ingabire significant reparations for the infringement of her rights by Rwanda and ordered that state to pay the reparations in full within six months or face escalating interest.